Nix on The International 2025: "For 20, 30, and 40 million dollars people are ready to sacrifice a lot"

Streamer Alexander Nix Levin shared his opinion on the prize pool of The International 2025, which he will be covering, noting its significant decrease compared to previous years. During a broadcast on his Twitch channel, he compared Dota 2’s main tournament with esports events in Counter-Strike 2.

According to Levin, the current TI has lost its prestige due to the modest prize pool:

Two million? Even less than in Riyadh. Of course, that doesn’t add any prestige. Obviously, the old Internationals and the modern one are different things. The prize pool has a huge impact: playing for 20, 30, or 40 million dollars and for 2 million is a completely different level of preparation, and people are willing to sacrifice very differently.

He also noted that in Counter-Strike 2, not only prize money but also player salaries and sticker revenue play an important role. In his opinion, this makes the scene more attractive for both pro players and fans:

CS players may have smaller prize pools, but their salaries are higher, plus stickers bring in significant income. Simply qualifying for a Major already earns money. There’s big money there, it just comes from different sources. And prestige: huge arenas, crowds, content. Compare a BLAST Major with the last TI - it’s sky and earth.

Levin added that if the tournament format remains at the same level this year, it would mean that Dota 2 has finally fallen behind other disciplines in terms of spectacle and prestige.

The International 2025 will take place from 04.09.2025 to 14.09.2025 in Hamburg, Germany, featuring 16 teams. The starting prize pool is $1,600,000.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported that Gaimin Gladiators withdrew from The International 2025.